Our ongoing observations about whether the boom has peaked

[Kepler]

14 hours ago, BigRich said:

Nuts.  On a local note, is it just me or is there a surprising amount of Eagle Rare showing up in the Metro Atlanta area?  Usually $50 instead of $30/$35 but still a regular sight now. 

 

12 hours ago, Anwalt said:

 

Not just you.  A friend in Atlanta picked some up for me at $50.  It's one of the few bourbons my wife will drink and the only one she'll drink neat.

 

9 hours ago, smokinjoe said:

It has become quite regular, but I’m seeing mostly $39.99, some up tp $44.  

 

Maybe, just maybe, BT's aged stock is beginning to catch up a little?

[Clueby]

4 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

Oh, one more thing, mainly for Tim. I paid $36.99 for the Weller 12 I bought last week.  

 

Biba! Joe

I think the last one I got at retail (which was also via a lottery drawing) was $42.99.  Prior to that I purchased 3 bottles in 2017 for $23.99 ea.  Took 4 years to drink those 3 bottles. 

[0895]

20 minutes ago, Kepler said:

 

 

 

Maybe, just maybe, BT's aged stock is beginning to catch up a little?

Incoming press release for ER brand extensions…

[fishnbowljoe]

1 hour ago, 0895 said:

Incoming press release for ER brand extensions…

And lest we not forget that BT is Blanton’s in a domestic bottle. Weller? Slightly closer to the truth of it being the same as Pappy. Again, in a different bottle. 🫣 What’s a mother to do? 
 

Biba! Joe

[Bob_Loblaw]

6 hours ago, Kepler said:

 

Maybe, just maybe, BT's aged stock is beginning to catch up a little?

I will say the annual W12 drop was allegedly very large both in Illinois and Texas. Yeah, I know, two states that historically get a good allocation. Still, more has to be better right?

 

It also seems to me that ECBP seems to be steadily increasing in availability, but unfortunately also price ).

 

Now that I’m thinking from what I’ve heard (limited info) there is more RR13 this year. And 4RPS ages do seem to be back over 10 more often than not. 

[PaulO]

Yesterday I went for the first time to the new TW in Greenwood.  It seemed to me that the number of their own whiskey brands (the ones no one else sells) has increased significantly since my last visit, a couple months ago, to the store in Nora.

Gosh, so much shelf space full of generic product.  They come up with usually a two syllable name, meaningless story, no real provenance other than state.  If there's an age statement, it's young.  Most of it's 80 proof.

Granted, there is other stuff there I want to buy, but a lot to pass on.

That's my observation of the boom - proliferation of NDP garbage.

[Anwalt]

8 minutes ago, PaulO said:

It seemed to me that the number of their own whiskey brands (the ones no one else sells) has increased significantly since my last visit, a couple months ago, to the store in Nora.

 

Yup. 

 

When traveling I pop into TW's all over the country.  Similar results, with some finds here & again.  I've learned to ask about their policies with "high-demand" bottles.  Some put them on the shelf (seems to be the case with Nora).  Some hold bottles behind the counter and you have to ask if they even have them (Phoenix).  Some get good bottles that take a surprising time to go - the TW in Middletown, KY send their pile of OF SiB lasted a week out in the open.  Seems to vary a lot.  Usually worth a walk-through to see if something other than their myriad NDP's is present, lotta luck involved.

 

I did really, really like their RR Sib pick and it is widely available.  Some might debate whether it's worth $85.  I thought so, but I also tend to be a little on the spendy side.

[Clueby]

On 8/22/2022 at 12:55 PM, fishnbowljoe said:

When and if I can find ER around here, it’s usually around $38.99 at a couple of places. Maybe a buck or two more at Binny’s. Meijer has it on sale for $32.99, but it’s never in stock. If it somehow does show up as in stock, it’s kept in the back, and most customers never see it. I paid $29.99 for the bottle I picked up last week.   Must be roll back pricing. 

 

Biba! Joe

Saw this today.

[fishnbowljoe]

28 minutes ago, Clueby said:

Saw this today.

Those aren’t ps 1.75’s are they?  

 

Biba! Joe

[mbroo5880i]

On 8/22/2022 at 7:11 PM, fishnbowljoe said:

I hear you ERIC. Yes, I got your name right this time. We have a couple of Meijers here. Long story short, the way they handle things with ER, Blanton’s, etc, is a bit less than above board. Especially at the store closer to our house, which is the one we usually go to.

 

Oh, one more thing, mainly for Tim. I paid $36.99 for the Weller 12 I bought last week.  

 

Biba! Joe

 

Last bottle of W12 I bought was $63.99 at Meijer.  I don't remember how long long ago but within the last year.  I just happened to be standing at the "rare bourbon" end shelf when one of the employees was looking at where to place it on the shelf and I told her to just place it in my hand.   Last bottle of ER I bought was this past weekend for $29.99.  The shelf tag said $35.99 but it was on sale.  Only one bottle. I walked away with it.  Shortly after, several people were scouting the same shelf. 

[mbroo5880i]

42 minutes ago, Clueby said:

Saw this today.

 

"Save" is the key word.  If I don't buy at $69.99, I save both my money and dignity.

[Clueby]

16 minutes ago, fishnbowljoe said:

Those aren’t ps 1.75’s are they?  

 

Biba! Joe

They were ps. They were not 1.75.

[Jazzhead]

Very surprised to see Eagle Rare yesterday at my local Pennsy State Store.   It's been MIA for maybe 3 years or so in these parts.   It was priced at $29.99 with a 2-bottle limit.  I purchased one.

[Clueby]

Presale for the Willett 8 Year sold out 30 bottles in about 15 mins at $230!

 

[Dannabis]

7 hours ago, Clueby said:

Presale for the Willett 8 Year sold out 30 bottles in about 15 mins at $230!

 

It's hard to imagine buying 8 year juice at that price.

[mbroo5880i]

I learned something today.  There is a contingent of bourbon hunters who stalk the Monday drop of bourbon at Costco.  

[fishnbowljoe]

27 minutes ago, mbroo5880i said:

I learned something today.  There is a contingent of bourbon hunters who stalk the Monday drop of bourbon at Costco.  

Around here, bourbon hunters stalk and/or send out scouts to check the drops at most stores.

[mbroo5880i]

5 minutes ago, fishnbowljoe said:

Around here, bourbon hunters stalk and/or send out scouts to check the drops at most stores.

 

I was surprised by the discussion between several of the hunters.  They were talking up the big scores they had recently including one guy who indicated he brought back several bottles of Blanton's Straight from the Barrel on a trip to Italy in the last week.  What was he hoping to score at Costco?  Maybe a standard bottle of Blanton's or an Eagle Rare? 

[smokinjoe]

The “bubble” still exists.  But, for the first time, I’m not sure of the “boom”.  
 

@The Black Tot?

[Kepler]

These people multiply.  Social media recycles the process.  Someone joins a local "bourbon lover's" Facebook group barely able to spell "bourbon" and immediately learns to chase all BT products whether they can actually discern bourbon from rum or any other distilled spirit or not.  They immediately take part in blasting to social media every single "drop" of ER, Stagg Jr, CEHT or Weller and within 1 hour, all 100 bottles are scarfed up by losers who have nothing better to do with their time.  Meanwhile the Average Joe, a loyal customer who drops by his local liquor store once a week for the past 10 years on his way home from work never even knew what bottles he missed.

 

Rinse and repeat.

[mbroo5880i]

7 minutes ago, Kepler said:

Meanwhile the Average Joe, a loyal customer who drops by his local liquor store once a week for the past 10 years on his way home from work never even knew what bottles he missed.

 

Man, this speaks to me. 

[fishnbowljoe]

Your timing has to be good to get most decent stuff here. I’m not a truck follower. If and when I’m in the area of a store, I might stop in. Sometimes it’s a couple of weeks or more between stops at Binny’s. It usually never fails,  “You shoulda been here a couple of days ago. We got a few bottles of Blanton’s in.” or something to that effect. I take what I can get if and when I can get it. I’m fairly happy with that cause I can always find MM, and BT shows up fairly regularly. 

[Bourserker]

I don't know if things have peaked, but the boom has definitely lead to the creation of a lot more options.  Many small distilleries have decent products on the market now.

 

I'm also a scotch drinker like several others on here and regularly "pivot" back and forth based on what's available.   

[chasking]

No posts in almost six months in this thread . . . does that mean that the boom has, in fact, finally peaked?

 

On a possibly related note, I see that the "All things Van Winkle" thread in the Premium forum closed due to inactivity a couple years ago.  Have we undergone a paradigm shift?

 

(I admit, I haven't been around a lot lately so things that may have changed incrementally may seem more drastic to me.)

[GaryT]

6 hours ago, chasking said:

No posts in almost six months in this thread . . . does that mean that the boom has, in fact, finally peaked?

 

On a possibly related note, I see that the "All things Van Winkle" thread in the Premium forum closed due to inactivity a couple years ago.  Have we undergone a paradigm shift?

 

(I admit, I haven't been around a lot lately so things that may have changed incrementally may seem more drastic to me.)

Not sure how we collectively define 'peak', but if it has - I think it is still riding the peak (if not continuing to climb).  I haven't bought a new bottle of bourbon in a couple of months (save for maybe a handle of EV BIB for cocktails) but the prices I still see folks posting on-line doesn't suggest that the craziness has abated.